Game 115: A’s at Tigers

PREGAME: After spending basically every waking minute since the All Star break on the road, the Tigers return home for the awhile. This was the part of the schedule, where if the Tigers kept things close, they could make their run. Except they didn’t keep things close.

As for the game at hand it will be Kenny Rogers and Dallas Braden. Braden is making his 4th start and he’s had mixed results. The Tigers faced him 3 times last year and beat the stuffing out of him the last two times lighting him up for 14 runs in 6.1 innings over the 2 games.

With the exception of the Royals game, Rogers has been awful since the break. he hasn’t recorded an out in the 7th inning, and in his last start he threw 109 pitches before being lifted in the 4th.

53 Comments

Shane Temporarily in Toledo

August 8, 2008 at 5:59 pm

The Tigers are facing three mediocre lefty pitchers this weekend that they should beat up on. They also lucked out by not having to face Duchscherer in this series.
Lets hope the Tigers pitching holds up and the team gets back over .500.

Dave BW

August 8, 2008 at 6:55 pm

Okay Oakland A’s let’s do this thang. ROAR

charlie

August 8, 2008 at 6:59 pm

allright, sheff and renteria are back in…we got the A lineup tonite…no more of these B subs like last night…looks like jimmuhs gettin serious bout winning.

Mike in CT

August 8, 2008 at 7:09 pm

Here’s the game for tonight — Over/Under three hits combined between Sheffield-Thames-Renteria-Inge?

Dave BW

August 8, 2008 at 7:12 pm

I’ll take the under, Mike

Mike in CT

August 8, 2008 at 7:14 pm

I might actually take the over since Thames is 0-for-11 in August, so he’s due, right?

That’s this game, the Tigers and A’s fighting to see who is the most listless team in the A.L. Sad, really.

Palmcroft

August 8, 2008 at 9:09 pm

Sheff, he of some ultimate but unknown leverage on Jimmy, could at least have walked. He. Is. Useless.

Anyone know how far below average he’s performing, vorpwise?

Palmcroft

August 8, 2008 at 9:12 pm

Kenny goes 7/4; not bad at all for him.

They’re facing a decent A’s pitcher, this happens.

Kathy

August 8, 2008 at 9:12 pm

zzzzzzzzzzzzzz…………..

charlie

August 8, 2008 at 9:13 pm

two innings to go and i’m looking good for the over/under

Chris

August 8, 2008 at 9:16 pm

Third August in a row where the team just tanks…. Third August in a Row where Leyland is manager. It would be a crime if Jimmy gets another August as Tiger manager…..

mcb.

August 8, 2008 at 9:18 pm

This is sad

mcb.

August 8, 2008 at 9:19 pm

MN and Chicago winning. I am going tomorrow to the game and it might be the most enjoyable one this season because I can finally rest easy – no worries about the playoffs.

Ryan P

August 8, 2008 at 9:20 pm

You know the Tigers blow when DALLAS BRADEN can shut them down.

Palmcroft

August 8, 2008 at 9:23 pm

Does DD say to Leyland “Why the hell are you playing the ineptitude twins, Sheff and Rent?” Or does he say, “Jimmy, I made a mistake, play ANYBODY else right now or you’re fired!” Or does DD never forcefully express himself on the topic? Maybe it makes them both so uncomfortable that they don’t let it come up during their special time together. Maybe they talk about hot women the stadium webcam picks up.

Chris

August 8, 2008 at 9:27 pm

No, Palmcroft… DD says, play both Rent-a-retard & Shef because I sunk so much cost into these guys that you have to help me justify my actions by playing them…. And then, hopefully they can get hot and I won’t look like such an awful GM.

mcb.

August 8, 2008 at 9:29 pm

It’s really unfortunate we suck – considering how much fun this could have been with 20 out of 26 at home.

Jeff

August 8, 2008 at 9:31 pm

Anyone know how far below average he’s performing, vorpwise?

Sheff is at +4 in VORP, which isn’t a comparison to average, but to replacement level.

Miggy leads the team at about 33, Granderson is just behind him at 31. Maggs is third at 26. Then Polanco and Guillen. No surprises.

Gallaraga is by far the highest pitcher, at 22. Seay is second at 13, Lopez 12, Verlander 11. Nate is -9.

While VORP is not tied to OPS, the two are pretty strongly correlated. Sheffield’s OPS is .707 which is bad by his standards, but definitely above replacement level even for a DH. Below average though.

Another interesting factoid from today’s Prospectus Hit List ranking of teams. WXRL is their measure of bullpen wins above replacement level. In other words, with an average bullpen they’d be 3 games out.

“The team is now second-to-last in the majors in WXRL and has gone just 47-19 (.712) in games in which they led or were tied entering the seventh inning. The major-league average in those situations is a .780 winning percentage, so Detroit’s performance has them about 4 ½ games below par—the difference between contention and pipe dream”

Mike in CT

August 8, 2008 at 9:46 pm

Perfect ending. Keep penciling Sheff in every night Jimmmmmmmuh.

Chris

August 8, 2008 at 9:49 pm

I bet the Tigers get swept…… This team, this season, this manager, this horrible annual August slump…. Nothing will suprise me.

charlie

August 8, 2008 at 9:59 pm

doubt it will happen but often a long home stand is a good time to change the guy pushing the buttons…might wake some guys up. oh well.

Mike in CT

August 8, 2008 at 10:05 pm

you know, that famous leyland speech was in April 2006…that’s a long time ago. it’s a guess, but it’s pretty possible the players have tuned him out.

Easily, this is the biggest disappointment of a season I have ever experienced as a fan of a particular team. At the beginning of the season, if someone would have told me that the Tigers would be effectively out of playoff contention in the 1st week of August, I would have thought they were crazy…. And the only way I could have conceived of such a dismal outcome would have been because of a rash key injuries…. or another AL Central team running away with the division with a 100 win season. The fact that we don’t have either of these excuses to explain such underachievement is truly a bitter pill to swallow. This lineup is absolutely stacked with talent and we get our asses handed to us by nearly every team in the AL. That is inexcusable.

The only thing that can make me feel better about this season would be the replacement of manager. I don’t blame Leyland for this poor season, but I just think we’ve got to get new leadership in order to shake things up for ’09.

cib

August 8, 2008 at 10:55 pm

Hi kids, I’m home. Well, the weather and the food were particularly nice this evening. When Maggs got picked off I had the feeling there was nothing going to happen this evening so I just talked to my sectionmates, had an extra Icee, and oh, well. It’s like pre-06. I had no stress, expected nothing. And got it. Oh yeah, the cheeseburger was good.

judpma

August 9, 2008 at 12:28 am

Chris: The only thing that can make me feel better about this season would be the replacement of manager. I don’t blame Leyland for this poor season, but I just think we’ve got to get new leadership in order to shake things up for ‘09.

I’m really glad Marcus got the 2 run jack. It’s cool that Kenny got through 7 and that Dolsi was good, too.

I’m a bit late with this, but after the 8-3 win over the Sox I just wanted to say that, as a Sheffield and Renteria detractor (not a hater), when “my boys” – typically underdog types like Thames and Santiago – do poorly, I do take note. Marcus has been in a bad non-country funk, and Ramon doesn’t help my case for him with 3 strikeouts and an error (though he did gun down Speed Demon Jim at the plate) in a rare start.

You would think that with some of what happened in the win over the Sox (great job by Miner, awesome plays by Raburn), that would pick the team up, send them back home charged. Not so, I guess. Proof once again that there is no such thing as momentum. Although Jim Leyland has confessed to believing in momentum within games (see recent comments).

It’s not real good when the Tigers finally come home and then play flat against a team that had lost 10 straight. I haven’t forgotten that last demoralizing A’s series – are the Tigers really winless against them this year? Say it ain’t so.

Sean C. in Illinois

August 9, 2008 at 1:43 am

You could bring this team back as is for 2009, and there’s a fair chance it would do much better. Want to risk it? I don’t.

Unless Leyland has actually been pressured to make many of the bizarre moves he’s made, he is to blame for a lot. I’d be more willing to take the team as is back than see the same team again under him. Something’s got to change, and I might venture to say “a lot.”

Two moths ago or more, I disputed Billfer’s contention that most of the team would be back for 2009, and listed who I thought would be back. Can’t remember what I wrote, but I’ll make another guess first and then go back and compare if I can find it.

14 of the current 25-man, I think. Guillen, Thames, Sheffield, Renteria, Rogers, Jones, Rodney, Robertson, Fossum, Lopez, Farnsworth – all gone. I wouldn’t be surprised to see one of Inge-Santiago-Raburn go, too.

Strange to say, but the bigger the personnel shakeup, the less I would actually mind having Leyland back.

Rick G

August 9, 2008 at 8:23 am

Nice game Tigers! Way to trot down the line on the game ending DP Sheff!

Took my son, daughter, and my son’s little girlfriend to the game to celebrate his 8th birthday and had a miserable time (other than my son predicting Marcus’ homer, and the fireworks after the game).

Sean, I’ll play your game, since there’s nothing else to worry about for this year…

I’ll put Willis and Sheffield in the “maybe” category, only because they’re both owed so much money that they’ll be in training camp with a chance to make the team. I don’t think either one is on the opening day roster, though.

I think Guillen, Thames, and Rodney are all back. Guillen appears to be on the down side of his career already, but is an adequate 3B and is signed through 2011. The latter two are decent enough in their roles.

Robertson will probably be back because he’s owed a lot of money. Cruceta, Fossum, and Lopez are anyone’s guess.

Top three priorities for next year? Shortstop, closer, and catcher (replacement for Mr. .213 Inge, or at least a backup).

And I see no reason to bring Leyland back.

ron

August 9, 2008 at 10:37 am

Rick G. totally agree. Your first line tells us what’s been going on with a few members of this team. It just takes a couple guys mailing it in every now and then before an attitude sets in.

Vince in MN

August 9, 2008 at 10:51 am

Don’t forget the need for a handful of relief pitchers besides closer (to remedy the 2nd worst MLB bullpen) and at least one more starter (maybe 2) to remedy the mediocre starting crew.

ron

August 9, 2008 at 12:17 pm

I can see Sheffield and Leyland both cleaning out their lockers( does Jimmy have a locker or closet?) and in Amanda’s words, Gary would say to Leyland ” Well, we rode that pony to the end, didn’t we”.

Man. Interest in the Tigers has really fallen off the table. This team really blows and nobody cares. Seems too sad.

Chief Monday

August 9, 2008 at 3:50 pm

Renteria and Sheff could be back. I wouldn’t give up on them quite yet.

Renteria is having an off year, but He still has upside. Even if he’s not part of our plans next season, whatever we do, we just can’t let him walk away. We can still trade him after we pick-up the option year, like the Yankees did with Sheffield a few years ago.

Sheff has upside also. Right now his hitting problems are fixable, they are not entirely physical. If you can trade him, fine I’m up for that, but we’ll probably have to take someone with a bad contract in return, like Barry Zito.

Besides needing a top-notch closer, like K-Rod, this team doesn’t need many changes. We have a good set of young outfield prospects in Joyce, Thomas, and Clevlen who look ready. Overall we just need better performance from everyone on the roster. Success like failure is contagious. We need Verlander to lead the staff and Granderson to lead the offense.

Having a championship caliber team is the goal. You’re not going to get closer to that goal by tearing the team apart and starting over. I’m up for any changes that will make the team better though.

Axing Leyland and the rest of the staff will only cure the pain of fans that don’t like the current staff. The most successful teams are the ones that stick with their staff through the good and the bad. When you change managers and coaches every 3 or 4 years, it’s a recipe for disaster because you then give up all that experience. It usually takes a few seasons for a coaching staff to learn everything they need to know about the players they have.

I wasn’t happy when we fired Trammell and his coaching staff either. Players may come and go due to free agency/trades these days, but the manager and his coaching staff should be the fixture’s that stays in place for a franchise.

If they do fire Leyland though, I hope they don’t look to far. I’ve give Larry Parrish or Trammel another shot. I wouldn’t mind seeing Gibby or Lance Parrish back either. The job should goto someone who already knows the Tigers.

I would love seeing Gibby as Tiger manager. When he was a player, his drive and intensity was truly impressive. In ’88 he was the spark that lit the fire of the Doggers. And I think he can do that again as manager. We need someone who can find a way to motivate this Tiger team to settle for nothing less but excellence.

Renteria won’t be back. Tigers are probably going to want to cut payroll and the guy just sucked. I’m sure he left a bad taste in the mouth of DD. The sooner Renteria is out of Detroit, the sooner they can forget about the worst/stupidest trade of Dombrowski’s reign. Renteria will be back in the NL facing all that weak pitching.

Sheff will be back for his final year in ’09. Tigers may want to trade him, but there likely won’t be any takers. That may be OK because he could have rebound year. Otherwise, the Tigers could release him with only a few months left on his contract.

But then again the sooner the Tigers can open up the DH position the sooner they can move Maggs into that role.

It’s obvious he’s having a bad year, but He’s not nearly as bad as you think. As bad as he’s been He’s still hitting .260, .306 OBP, and .641 OPS.

The Average AL Shortstop hits. .260, .310 OBP, .675 OPS.

So at his worst, he’s average. His defense is about average also.

stephen

August 9, 2008 at 7:57 pm

Chief Monday, my god. You know what? Never mind.

Chief Monday

August 9, 2008 at 10:29 pm

stephan: never mind yourself.

judpma

August 9, 2008 at 10:37 pm

Inge rally!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

Coleman

August 9, 2008 at 10:49 pm

“Inge rally!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!”

With Man-In-Scoring-Position the bat of Inge becomes a solid once again, and he becomes a man who can “hit” the “ball”–he becomes as if a Pudge-With-Bases-Empty, and swings the bat with great fearless un-checked swingwork.